Simply One Hell of a Holiday
by thetsunamifan
Summary: What do Sebastian and Ciel do during the holidays? Put a workaholic child and a sadistic demon together and the results may be shockingly adorable! Sebaciel. Warning: the fluff may choke you.
1. Christmas - December 24-5

**Just a head's up: There are going to be some holidays not from the 19th century.**

"Somebody has to tell him."

"No! It'll break his poor heart, yes it will."

"He's thirteen, for Christ's sake! He's got to get over his obsession with this Santa fellow one way or another."

"It's not the right time."

"Is that right? Is that gonna be your excuse when he's an adult and still believes in the magic fat man?"

Mey-Rin and Bard continued going at it in the hall while their young master stood in the kitchen beside the head butler. Sebastian was stirring the chocolate chip cookie dough while Ciel spoke, "They must be exceptional. I want quality presents this year."

Sebastian heaved a sigh. The only reason he hadn't told Ciel the forbidden secret was because Tanaka told him not to, for it was what made children so innocent. Sebastian hardly thought anything could save Ciel his innocence now, but he obeyed the wise old man and kept his mouth shut for the time being. It was surprising enough, however, that Ciel didn't get over Santa Claus by now, now that he had reached his teenage years.

"I shall try my hardest to make them suitable for our guest." Sebastian nearly choked on the words. Although it was foolish of Ciel to believe in Santa, it was equally hilarious. Sebastian wanted terribly to laugh out loud, but he already knew what would result: Ciel's face would flush a deep crimson red and he would demand to know what was so humorous. Oh, what a joy children were sometimes.

Sebastian's attention switched to young Finnian as the boy carried a wooden crate of vegetables into the kitchen. "Oh, young master!" he called. "Did Mister Sebastian tell you already?"

"Tell me what?" Ciel asked curiously.

"Why, that - _whaa!_" A burning sensation made poor Finny trip over the counter when Sebastian flung dough into his eye with the whisk. Finny slunk off the top of the counter and rubbed his eye furiously. "Ow, ow, ow! It's in my eye! Get it out, get it out!"

"What was the purpose of that?" Ciel asked an irked Sebastian.

"Finny, you didn't get rid of the weeds this morning like I reminded you to... _twice_," he scolded the Phantomhive's gardener.

"You're right!" Finny cried. "I'm soo sorry ~ I'll do that right away!"

His blurred vision caused him to tumble over the wooden crate that had dropped to the floor. Finny did a face-plant to the floor before getting up in a hurry and rushing back outside.

"That was odd," Ciel observed. "It seemed like you didn't want him to tell me something."

Sebastian replied with a friendly smile and finished the batch of cookies in silence within the next few hours. He placed the milk and cookies beside the Christmas tree which was yet to be surrounded by presents. "It's finished," he told Ciel. The boy took a bite out of one of the soft treats.

"It's good enough."

"Thank you; you're too kind."

Ciel stretched his arms over his head in a yawn. "I'm going to retire now. Santa Claus will be here soon."

"Yes..." Sebastian followed Ciel to the bedroom and changed the earl into his nightshirt. As he tucked Ciel in, Sebastian noticed how eager Ciel was to get to sleep as soon as humanly possible. He gave Ciel a confused glance before blowing out the candles and leaving the room.

"Children... I'll never understand them."

...

"UWWAAAHHHHH!"

"What the bloody hell is that screamin' for?" Bard ran toward the source of the noise still wearing his pajamas and nightcap. "What, Mey-Rin? What is it, for cryin' out loud?"

"Th-The milk and cookies... they haven't been eaten, no they haven't. Tanaka was supposed to eat them and ready the Santa present. But there's no present signed by Santa in sight!"

"_That's_ what was so important that I had to wake up extra early to your screaming? A bloody Santy-Claus crisis?!"

"Ho, ho, ho." The maid and the cook looked up at Tanaka as he sat on the very top of the Christmas tree. He was wearing a cute little Santa suit.

"Ahhh! T-Tanaka, what're you doing so high up?" Mey-Rin asked timidly.

"You're not a bloody Christmas angel! You were s'pose to be Santa for the young master, remember?" But the only response he got was Tanaka sipping his tea.

"Well, we can eat the milk and cookies," Bard told Mey-Rin, "But that doesn't explain the fact that the Santa Claus is missing."

"Did I hear you say Santa Claus? Did he come?"

"Eeek!" Bard hid behind Mey-Rin, well aware of what an angry Ciel was like. "Heheh, funny thing, young master... it doesn't look like he came. But, uh, better luck next year, right?"

Ciel searched through the presents but found none signed by who he was expecting to show. "There's no sign of him at all this time...?"

"What's going on?" Sebastian asked as he entered the room.

"Santa didn't come," Mey-Rin said nervously. She motioned at Tanaka, who was sitting on the tree. Sebastian understood the problem now.

"Young master, there is something you need to know about Santa Claus," Sebastian said blatantly. "He-"

"I know, there's no need to tell me. I'm on the naughty list. It's the only reasonable explanation."

"That's not-" Sebastian paused when the phone rang from the other room. "Ah, excuse me for a moment." The butler in black went to the phone and answered it. "Hello? Oh, hello, Marchioness. Yes, I'm sure the young master would love to go. All right, goodbye now." Sebastian sighed. When the Marchioness of Midford uses that tone, you never dare refuse her. Sebastian stopped just as he was about to step out of the room.

"Was it Santa?" Ciel asked him. "Did he hear what I was saying?"

"No... Actually, it was the Marchioness speaking. She wants you to attend a gift exchange that Lady Elizabeth is holding. I expect you've already chosen a suitable gift for the lady."

"Indeed."

"An annual sledding competition will be held on the hill where the gift exchange will be taking place. Signing up prior to the event isn't even nessescary; you can come freely and join in whenever you wish. Won't that be fun?"

"Please. I'm not a child." Sebastian chuckled softly at this. "What? I'm not!"

"Heh. Of course not. Shall we leave now, then?"

Master and servant rode a carriage to the Christmas Day event near the hillside often used for sledding this time of year. Lizzy ran up to Ciel and hugged him with all her might. Although Ciel claimed to be too old for sledding, be brought his own wooden sled for the competition.

"I'm soo excited! It's two people to a snowboard, Ciel," Lizzy added.

"Then I'll go with you," Ciel responded.

"Umm, Edward is already my partner. Who will you go with?"

"May I?" Sebastian offered. "I would be much obliged to take the place of your partner, young master."

"Okay! ~ Let's do that, then! I do hope the hill isn't too steep for you to climb, Ciel!" Lizzy ran ahead to join Edward at the top of the hill.

"I hate you," Ciel told Sebastian as he trudged up the hillside. "I was this close to getting out of that ridiculous competition."

"Are you sure this isn't exciting in the least bit?" Sebastian questioned him.

"Y-Yes..." The climb up got rough at the half-way mark. With each step, Ciel's legs were submerged in snow up to his knee. Growing rather impatient, Sebastian lifted Ciel over his shoulder and carried him the rest of the way. "Damn you," Ciel muttered.

"Earl, there you are!" Ciel regretted ever coming at the sound of Lau's rapturous voice. "I didn't think you'd make the walk up, or even show up for that matter. But we're all glad you're here."

Ciel felt an oncoming cough when an icy-cold breeze irritated his nose. He watched stiffly as Sebastian set down the sled. "Do you want the front or the back?" Sebastian asked him.

"Surely the earl can take on the front?" said Lau. "A bit of snow never hurt anyone."

"Okay then."

Sebastian and Ciel squeezed onto the sled that was meant for only one person. Ciel felt slightly awkward at seeing Sebastian's legs sticking out on either of his sides, but he tried to ignore it and focus on sledding.

"A special and very expensive prize awaits whoever reigns victorious!" Lau called out to everyone. "Readyyy... GO!"

Ciel held back a scream when Sebastian propelled them off the hill. A gasp escaped him when a gust of snow flew into his face as the earl was driven back into Sebastian's person; the demon shielded Ciel so that the cold substance didn't numb him by the time they reached the end of the hill. They were indeed the fastest sledders there, and when Sebastian forced the sled to stop he had to grab Ciel's thick winter coat with one hand so that the boy didn't go flying forward.

"The Earl of Phantomhive won the annual sledding competition!" Lau cheered. "Huzzah!"

Ciel leaned over the front of the sled, shivering and coughing. Sebastian wiped away the snow and looked Ciel over frantically. "Young master, is it another asthma attack?" he asked softly so that no one would hear. Ciel buried his head into his arms during the fit of coughing. "Not to worry; I shall bring you back to the manor at once. Please look up at me, young master."

"Hehehehe..."

Sebastian wiped the snow off Ciel's shoulders. "Please speak up."

"Hahahaha... you fell for it!" Ciel looked up with a lively expression. "I'm not having an attack. What a fool you are at the best of times, Sebastian."

"Ah, yes. _I'm _the fool," Sebastian murmured.

Ciel dabbed his runny nose on his sleeve. "Let's get off this thing already."

Sebastian helped Ciel up before Lizzy approached shouting Ciel's name. "Ciel, congratulations!" She hugged her betrothed and pecked him on the check. "Let's go see Lau and find out what the prize was!"

_You mean I have to trudge up that hill again?_

Waiting at the top was the Chinese man and woman, Ran-Mao. "I've never seen sledding like _that_ before, Earrll," Lau praised him. "I suspect you want the mystery prize? Guess what? THERE ISN'T ONE. I thought everyone would try harder if a prize were involved. Don't look so down, though. If you wanted a prize so badly ~ Ran-Mao? Give the Earl his prize."

Ran-Mao's breasts pressed against Ciel's face in a tight hug. "GET OFF THIS INSTANT." Ciel was still blushing when the lady released him and clung onto Lau once more.

"That was what you wanted, right?" Lau asked.

"Shut up, you perverted freak. Come on, Lizzy." Ciel looked around for his cousin. "Lizzy? Where have y-"

"Look, Ciel! An extra sled." Lizzy waved at Ciel from a few feet away where she sat on a sled. "Let's go down together!"

_That girl... _Ciel bitterly thought. _I feel the beginnings of a cold. Sledding is the last thing I want to do, _he thought as he climbed in next to Elizabeth. He was more than glad to take the back seat this time.

"Ready?" asked Lizzy with the enthusiasm that Ciel was lacking.

Ciel held on tightly to Lizzy's shoulders when Sebastian pushed them down the hill. Lizzy screamed with delight, but Ciel squinted his eyes and hid his face from the snow. At the end of the hill Lizzy jerked the sled sideways to slow it down, managing to get snow in Ciel's face despite his position in the rear. The cold substance provoked a sneeze and few rough coughs from the boy. Lizzy peered back with worried emerald eyes. "What's wrong? Have you got a cold?"

As Sebastian walked down the hill he noticed Ciel leaned forward, coughing into his arm. _Honestly, young master. You're pulling that stunt in front of Lady Elizabeth? _When Ciel lifted his head, his nose was red as a cherry. More coughs racked his body before Sebastian started to take it seriously.

"Oh dear, Ciel," Lizzy murmured. "How dreadful."

"Don't worry about me," Ciel comforted her as Sebastian helped him up to his feet. The earl coughed into his arm a few times before Lizzy got up after him. "I'm just having a bad reaction. Why don't you go now, and I'll be with you in a moment?"

A bit teary-eyed, Lizzy nodded softly and walked back to the Midfords. Ciel took Sebastian's offered handkerchief and blew his nose into it.

"Are you familiar with the word, 'karma,' young master?" Sebastian asked, earning a hit from the boy.

"Whatever. Let's return to the others."

"Did you get your presents from Santa this year?" Lau was teasing Edward and Elizabeth as master and servant arrived.

"Don't be daft," Edward replied. "We all know that Santa Claus does not exist." He glanced at his younger sister, who nodded.

"What?" Ciel left Sebastian behind to intervene. "He is real, isn't he?"

Ciel's cheeks felt hot when Edward and Lau gave him confused looks. Lizzy, however, tried reaching out to her betrothed. "Um, Ciel?" she asked hesitantly. "You do know... right?"

Ciel was still flustered when Lau began chuckling into his sleeve. "This is pure gold."

"I'm not surprised, honestly," Francis admitted from beside her husband. "Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive died when the earl was only ten. We told Elizabeth when she was eleven."

"D-Don't be embarrassed, Ciel," Lizzy tried comforting him, "It's okay that you didn't know. I mean, isn't it true that we all have some pretty questionable secrets?"

It wasn't long before Ciel abandoned the sledding tournament and headed back to the mansion. The carriage ride back was completely silent, the earl gazing out the window with eyes emptier than even a dead person's. Ciel was still quiet when Sebastian helped him out of the carriage and opened the door back inside the manor.

"Young master, are you going to be all right?" Sebastian asked him.

The earl had been quiet ever since he found out the forbidden secret. The demon followed Ciel to the Christmas tree, where the boy took one of the cookies. After a single bite, Ciel said with a mouthful, "I'm over it," and walked past Sebastian with a satisfied face.

Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head slowly. _That brat._

**Please review telling me what you thought of this! I have lots of future chapters planned and I want to know what you have to say/suggest! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Hug Your Cat Day - June 4

**It's Hug Your Cat Day _today!_ If you have a cat, show him/her some extra love today!**

"Elizabeth's here," Ciel Phantomhive said as he tilted his top hat slightly to the side. "And I'm off."

"Are you sure you don't want for me to come along?"

"Please, don't act as if you want to accompany me to the new restaurant. In favor of today's holiday, I've given you permission to bring a cat into the mansion this once and I highly doubt you want to pass up the chance."

Sebastian bowed to his master. "I promise to disinfect afterwards for your allergies. I am still so grateful, young master."

"Don't get soft with me, demon," Ciel threw the words back as he disappeared behind the doors. "I'll be back shortly. Whatever cat you bring into the mansion, don't let it - under any circumstances - rip up the furniture or piss on anything."

"But of course."

Sebastian's smirk returned after the door slammed shut. "Ah, this is just wonderful. Any cat of my choosing inside the manor."

"Aww, I love kitties!" Mey-Rin exclaimed as she entered the room. "So, what kind of cat will it be?"

_"That _is a surprise," Sebastian told her, putting a finger to his lips. "I'll be back with the selected cat momentarily."

"I can't wait to pet its soft fur!" Finny called from another room. "Hurry back now!"

Sebastian's trip to find the perfect cat took him far from the manor, but he found exactly what he was searching for. "Ah, what a beauty. You'll do quite nicely." The creaking of the front door announced Sebastian's arrival with the invited feline. Each of the servants ran to the spot to see their new lovably guest.

"NNNOOOOOOOOOO. ABSOLUTELY NOT."

"What?" Sebastian asked innocently. Strapped to a fairly weak leash was a lion of at least 400 pounds.

"W-Wh-Where did you get him?" Mey-Rin asked.

"From the zoo in London. He seemed very lonely to me, cooped up in his small cage."

"Who cares!" Bard shouted in Sebastian's face. "When the young master said you're allowed to bring a cat into the house, I'm fairly sure he didn't mean a wild animal."

"The young master did not say what kind of cat it had to be," Sebastian retorted stubbornly.

"It's... it's... ADORABLE!" Finny yelled. "Is it friendlyyy~?"

"Well, it is a lio-" Sebastian stopped mid-sentence when the boy picked up the wild animal in both arms.

"Aww, it's huge and so fluffy. I wanna keep him!"

"Enough of your joking, Sebastian," Bard told the demon. "Put that thing back where it came from."

"I can assure you, I'm not joking at all," Sebastian replied bluntly. "Finny, put Perry down now."

"'Perry' here is gonna get us all into loads of trouble. I can just image the young master's reaction to a beast roaming freely inside the manor," Bard muttered.

"I'll take care of everything," Sebastian assured them. "Why don't you three focus on your jobs? Perry and I will stay out of your way."

"This isn't gonna go over well," Mey-Rin sighed as the demon led his pet away.

Perry obediently followed his new master into the the butler's bedroom. This person had a strange effect on the lion - other than most people, this one made Perry feel playful rather than hungry. "Let's spend our time together in here for most of the day," Sebastian said, closing the door behind them. "Ahhh." He knelt over and stroked the lion's mane with a gloved hand. "You're a beauty. Your soft, luscious mane... those marvelous chestnut eyes. How well fed you look, too." Perry snorted hot breath against Sebastian's face, which made the demon smile gleefully.

A growl of excitement escaped the lion, who wrapped his broad arms around Sebastian's neck with a deadly grip. "You're so soft," Sebastian's passionate voice came out muffled as his face was pressed against the animal's chest.

"What is it?"

"I've returned from the restaurant," came Ciel's voice. Sebastian was startled upon realizing how much time flew by while he was playing with his beloved cat. "I entered the mansion to find the servants cowering." Ciel opened the door and took a peek inside. "What cat do you have in th-"

Ciel's scream echoed across the walls of the Phantomhive mansion. "What is _that?!_"

"Surely you know what a lion is, young master?" Sebastian asked. "His name is Perry and he is the cat that I chose to keep me company."

"You're not-"

"You did say I can bring a cat into the mansion today. You did not say what breed of cat it must be."

Ciel clenched his fists against his sides. "I should never have allowed you to bring a cat here. I should never have been nice to you because of some useless holiday - now get him out of here this instant!"

The raised voice of the boy provoked a snarl from the wild cat. The lion released Sebastian from his grip and slowly approached Ciel with curled lips and a hungry stare. "What is he... Sebastian, control this beast!" When Perry lunged for him, Ciel forgot to close the door and went stumbling frantically down the hall. "Sebastian! I order you!"

Sebastian reluctantly rose to his feet and brushed the cat fur from his clothing, listening contemptuously to the cries of the earl. "I suppose I must rescue the young master from a cruel fate." Sebastian chuckled when he heard another scream from Ciel. He smiled gently as he remembered Perry's colossal golden mane and his firm, delicate paws. "I do so love cats."

Sebastian hurried downstairs and found Perry in Finny's arms. "Not to worry, you guys!" Finny called, staggering backwards with the cat. "The young master's all right!"

"Take him back to wherever you found him immediately," Ciel told Sebastian through panting breaths.

"Of course..."

When the day gave way to night again, Sebastian Michaelis made his way upstairs to tuck Ciel in. He knocked on the earl's door once - twice - and slowly creaked it open. "I've successfully disinfected everything. Are your allergies calmed down yet?"

"Yes," Ciel replied. The boy watched as Sebastian unclothed him and threw on his nightshirt. "Don't you dare try and blame this all on me. Common sense should have told you better than to bring a wild animal into his master's home."

"Ah, my apologies. It was a silly error on my part."

Sebastian felt a slight pain when his black locks were grabbed by small hands; his face was brought up to meet Ciel's. "What were you thinking? That thing could've killed me."

"I would never allow that to happen."

"Only bec-"

The child gasped when Sebastian pressed his lips against his to shut him up. Blushing madly, Ciel gritted his teeth when Sebastian pulled back. "You didn't resist," Sebastian pointed out. Ciel slapped his butler across the face.

"Who do you think you are? Leave me in peace."

Ignoring the demand, Sebastian pulled him into a hug. "I won't forgive you," Ciel muttered. Sebastian ran a hand through Ciel's hair before pushing him into the hug. "Is the young master angry that a lion almost maimed him, or perhaps he is jeal-"

"Don't say that word."

"Very well. Goodnight then, young master." Ciel was taken aback by how quickly Sebastian put off the subject. The boy watched helplessly as the butler blew out the candles and left the room. _What can I say? _ Ciel thought as his head pressed against the white pillows. _How can I express my feelings without coming off as weak?_

**More angsty/cute Sebaciel, mayhem and jealousy of cats in the future. :D**


	3. Children's Day - November 20

"It's that day of the year again."

The Phantomhive servants looked up from their work as Tanaka passed them in the kitchen. "What day of the year?" Finny asked. "I don't remember anything being planned for today."

"Why, it's Children's Day, young Finnian," Tanaka replied. "It's a day dedicated to the protection of children worldwide."

"Children's Day?" Mey-Rin said. "The young master is a child..." Tanaka nodded before taking a sip of tea from his green cup. "Right! Let's all celebrate by treating the master to something nice!"

"I'll pick him some nice flowers!" Finny offered.

"I'll make him the tastiest breakfast there ever was," Bard contributed.

"That's the spirit," Tanaka praised them. "Sebastian," he said suddenly when the head butler of the household nearly passed up the kitchen. "How will you celebrate Universal Children's Day today?"

"I had no idea that such a day existed," Sebastian admitted. "I will do my part, however, and think of the young master."

Sebastian turned from Tanaka's smiling face and went upstairs to wake Ciel. He knocked on the door twice before turning the knob and peeking inside. The scent of bile invaded his nostrils immediately upon entering. "Young master, is everything all right?" His demonic-red eyes went wide with shock when he first looked at Ciel. There was vomit on the floor, blood dripping from Ciel's nose, his eyes were red, the boy was trembling madly...

Sebastian cleaned the vomit at once and fetched Ciel a wooden pale in case the nausea returned. He then found the tissue box and wiped Ciel's nose before calling a doctor to come look at Ciel. As soon as he hung up, Sebastian made for the room again and stayed with the ill child. The butler took Ciel's arm and tugged him toward the edge of the bed. "Ow! Be careful," Ciel complained.

"I hardly pulled you. You're very sensitive..."

"My head's been throbbing since yesterday, too..." Ciel muttered.

"Is this what you were trying to hide a week before, young master? That you were suffering from sickness?"

"It's only just gotten bad," Ciel pointed out. "There was no point mentioning it earlier if there was a chance of it going away."

"How dreadful for you to be ill during a holiday," Sebastian commented suddenly.

"What holiday?"

"Tanaka informed me that it's Universal Children's Day."

"What does that have to do with me? I'm no child..."

"On the contrary, my lord-" Sebastian said as he forced Ciel back into the pillows, "-you are not yet an adult."

Ciel balled his fists and furiously rubbed his eyes. "Everything hurts. My arms, my legs... I couldn't even get out of bed to vomit. I even fainted afterwards..."

Sebastian removed a glove with his teeth and felt Ciel's forehead with the back of his hand. Ciel's eyes drifted shut as Sebastian spoke, "You're very warm." He stared at Ciel as he began to drowse off; more blood seeped from the boy's nostrils. Ciel opened his eyes, which made Sebastian nearly gasp in surprise. When Ciel gritted his teeth, the demon noticed blood forming at the gums as well.

Sebastian cleaned Ciel's nose again and dabbed the blood around the bluenette's teeth. When it kept pouring down relentlessly Sebastian began to worry all the more. Ciel drove his face into the pillows. "Wha... What's wrong with me?!"

"Don't dirty your pillow, young master," Sebastian scolded gently, guiding Ciel to lie on a cleaner pillow. "I have no idea what's come over you. Please try to stay awake for as long as you can manage." Sebastian sighed. "Will you be all right if I leave for a minute?"

"Of course I will."

After calling the doctor to visit, Sebastian went downstairs and informed the other servants about Ciel and his symptoms. "This is positively awful," Tanaka sighed. "Sebastian, please treat the young master with much kindness."

"I will try my hardest," Sebastian promised. The demon impatiently waited for the doctor to arrive. When he did, Sebastian immediately welcomed him inside and showed him to Ciel's bedroom.

"Dengue fever," the doctor named the illness after examining the 13-year-old. He rose Ciel's wrist and pointed directly at a small lump. "It was transmitted through this mosquito bite." The doctor spoke to Sebastian of how Ciel should be treated before he left. Sebastian thanked him, closed the door and turned to the suffering child on the bed.

"How to approach this?" he wondered aloud.

"Take my soul already," Ciel mumbled in exaggeration.

"You'll have to wait a while yet for that, young master," Sebastian chuckled. "The doctor mentioned that Dengue fever is most common in tropical areas. That mosquito must have bitten a traveler."

"Just my luck, too," Ciel muttered most bitterly.

"He told me not to tell you this, but you may also go into shock and die." When Ciel gaped in dismay, Sebastian waved it off. "Fear not, for I shall not allow that to happen. I'll make sure you get the proper treatment and recover in due time. I'll be back in a moment with some medicine to help soothe the pain."

"Take your time," Ciel murmured, slowly losing consciousness where he lay.

The child winced when the door closed behind Sebastian. _Ah... o-oww! Everything hurts... _Ciel struggled to sit up and stopped when his red eyes began to water. _I'm gonna pass out! _his thoughts screamed as his headache became much worse. _He's going to make me stay in a bed all day, isn't he? That won't do._

When Sebastian returned and gave Ciel his medicine, the demon noticed the boy clumsily trying to unbutton his nightshirt. "What are you doing?"

"I refuse to stay in bed all day like... like some ill child! Dress me so I can get to work."

"Just before you told me your head was throbbing, and now you're telling me it's fine enough to focus on paperwork?"

"I have to try."

"There's no need for that. Take this day to relax and wait for the disease to be treated until you are fit to work again." Sebastian kissed the top of Ciel's bleeding nose before smirking victoriously. "Don't bother arguing with me. You're very weak and you have an exceptionally weak body and you are prone to asthma attacks. I don't want you straining yourself over something that can wait for your health to be restored."

With puff of anger, Ciel flopped back into the pillows. "If I'm just going to lie in bed all day being useless, why don't you keep me company?"

"If that's what you wish..." A few pats on the mattress told Sebastian to sit down.

"I feel absolutely awful," Ciel groaned as he glared up at the demon that stared blankly back at him. "Tch..." Ciel took one end of the blanket and rolled over until he was in a cocoon of warmth beside Sebastian.

"Is it too cold? Here..." Sebastian picked up the bundle and placed Ciel on his lap. One could hardly see the blushing face within the white covers. Ciel flinched when Sebastian leaned in and gently licked the blood dripping from Ciel's nostril.

"DON'T BE WEIRD," Ciel exclaimed, his blush deepening.

"Hush, or the servants will hear and we'll have a problem." Sebastian's tongue caressed the edge of Ciel's ear, making him shudder softly in response.

"Don't do that."

"But you like it, right?"

"Just stop."

"Why should I?"

Sebastian's tongue trailed from Ciel's earlobe to his cheekbone, then lower until it traced the collarbone and Ciel was squirming in the blanket. "Bastard, you're tickling me." When Sebastian finished torturing his trapped young master, he threw the blanket off Ciel's person and forced him into a kiss. "Ugh, you pervert," Ciel gasped when he could pull away. "Stop smothering me."

"Do you like being close to me like this?" Sebastian whispered the question.

"When I'm sick, I don't like doing much of anything at all."

"Ah, but you are always in the mood for me, right? Don't look away," Sebastian added, grabbing Ciel's cheeks in a single hand and forcing their eye contact. "Tell the truth."

"You're often a nuisance, but I love you," Ciel admitted with a faint pout.

"That makes me quite pleased to hear." _My desire for this soul... ah, it's overwhelming. It's more than just hunger now, but lust._

The two just sat there for a few minutes in silence as they snuggled against each other. Ciel's headache and aching muscles were still bothersome, but the pain was forgotten when he was touching the demon. One of the only people he would allow to touch him... _Why do I love the feeling of his arms around me? When he brushes away my hair for a kiss... I even find myself enjoying his teasing sometimes. What is it about him that's so hypnotic?_

_Even if I had my strength back and could pull away from him... would I actually try?_

"Go get a book and read it to me," Ciel demanded suddenly. _I have to stop thinking about such silly and pointless things._

"I'll be back in a minute."

Ciel tried to hide the newly-aroused pain as he was lifted off Sebastian and set down on the bed. He couldn't help but feel relief when Sebastian put him in his lap again. Being close to Sebastian - his scent, his firm body, his gentle lips that spoke soft words - helped Ciel feel more safe and secure. Ciel tried to read along with the words of the book Sebastian had chosen as the butler read aloud, but eventually he decided to give up due to the splitting headache. The warmth of the blankets and Sebastian's body and the hushed voice of the demon combined lulled Ciel to sleep.

Sebastian stopped reading when he felt Ciel's breathing steady as he slept. _Children's Day, hmm? I don't know much about human children, but this one is quite amusing. _A part of Sebastian believed that Ciel was even adorable, especially while he was asleep.

"Please sleep well. You'll need your strength to recover. I will make certain that you don't become worse and go into shock, for I cannot allow my favorite soul to leave me abruptly without my permission."

For the remainder of the night, Sebastian held Ciel's unconscious body against him.

**Realistically speaking, Dengue Fever probably would've been fatal for Ciel (since his body's so weak and the modern world has way more advanced treatments than the Victorian era) but I'm not about to kill off that precious brat... so he recovered! Hope you're liking this so far and review your thoughts!**


	4. Valentine's Day - February 14

Ciel hardly budged when Sebastian shook his delicate shoulder. "Leave me alone," the boy mumbled, half-asleep as he buried his face into the covers.

"Come on now. We slept together last night, and you're able to put me off that easily the next morning?"

"I hardly slept at all last night. I know you don't like to sleep... and I could feel you watching me the entire night."

"I wanted more... action." Sebastian kissed Ciel's face until he finally opened his eyes. "Wake up and have some _fun_ with me, if you will."

Ciel closed Sebastian's lips with his fingers. "Fine. But I don't want any talking."

Ciel felt Sebastian's pleased smile through his fingers. A blush spread across Ciel's milky face as Sebastian's skilled hands maneuvered across his body to remove the nightshirt. Their naked bodies (except for Sebastian's pants that remained) pressed against each other as they cuddled beneath the covers. Sebastian cupped Ciel's cheeks when he noticed the boy was hardly moving. "Are you that tired that you're completely immobile?"

Ciel brushed the hair from blocking Sebastian's handsome face. "You are the dominant one, aren't you? Lead."

They enjoyed the feeling of the other's smooth, pale skin as they cuddled and smooched each other late into the day. With nothing special planned, they had time to themselves. Ciel's eyes were still half-closed with sleep as he stroked Sebastian's belly. "You know what we did last night? Let's do that again tonight."

Sebastian wrapped Ciel in his arms before replying, "I'd love to." Ciel rested his head on Sebastian's chest and accidentally fell asleep for an hour. When his huge, confused eyes blinked open again, Sebastian brushed the back of his hand gently against Ciel's cheek. "We should get up now. It's Valentines Day today... and I'm sure Lady Elizabeth would be grateful for at least a phone call today."

"Never mind her." Ciel sat up in bed and stared at Sebastian dead in the eyes. "You're the one I love. Not her."

"I understand." Ciel made a face when Sebastian kissed him on the head. After prepping Ciel for the day, Sebastian left the room, leaving Ciel on his own in the bedroom. Just minutes later, Ciel looked out the window when he heard faint meowing and wasn't surprised when Sebastian was feeding the local stray cats.

"Idiot. Does he care more about those pests than me?"

When Ciel finally left the bedroom, he found Sebastian back inside in the kitchen making a sweet cake for Valentine's Day.

"I bought a box of truffles the other day," Sebastian told Ciel as he walked in. "So that you might give them to Lady Elizabeth next time you see her."

"You shouldn't have bothered," Ciel replied. Just as he was about to leave the room, he looked back with a sly smirk about his lips. "Why don't you give these chocolates to your feline friends?"

Sebastian looked away from the delicious cake. "Do you mean it, young master?"

"Sure. You love them so much, it would only make sense to treat them to something on Valentine's Day. Is that not so?" Ciel smiled as he handed the truffles to Sebastian. _D__oes he really not know?!_

"Splendid." Sebastian eagerly put the cake batter in the oven. "Please excuse me."

Sebastian was still smiling (which was actually quite a cute sight, even if it was a demon) as he took the box out to the yard, unknowing of what consequences would become of his actions. Of course, his cat friends were still outside eating when Sebastian arrived with the chocolates. "A treat from the young master." He reached into the box and took a milk chocolate truffle, then proceeded to feed it to the nearest curious cat. "You like it, don't you? Would you like another?"

Several cats ate the truffles Sebastian offered while several others seemed uninterested. Not much time passed before the first cat that ate chocolate vomited on the pavement. "Are you having a bad reaction?" Sebastian tenderly stroked the shoulders of the ill cat. "There, there. Deep breaths now... hmm?" Sebastian noticed another cat lying down as its breathing became dangerously rapid. Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed with fear at the cats' reactions to the sweets. "What is this...?!"

At demonic speed, Sebastian rushed to find Ciel, who was reading the newspaper in a chair.

"How did they like the truffles?"

"They are acting quite odd. Their reactions to the chocolate were very unusual."

"You're such a fool, Sebastian!" Ciel exclaimed suddenly. The room rang with Ciel's unsympathetic and hearty laughter. "Cats can't have chocolate! They can actually _die_ from having it, you know? You didn't know that much and you continued to kill your precious angels unknowingly. That's richer than even the chocolate!"

Ciel's eyes were watering from his vigorous laughter, his voice cold and insensitive. Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. He couldn't comprehend how Ciel could go this far with his wickedness. This act of deceit was a worse crime than what any devil such as himself could commit.

Ciel continued to laugh even when Sebastian ran back to where his beloved cats were in the garden. When the door swung open, he found that most of the cats had gone except for a dying cat on the porch. Sebastian knelt down and groomed its convulsing body, regretting that he didn't know the power of chocolate sooner. Although this tragedy was due to his heartless master, Sebastian could not help but feel he betrayed his only friends. The cat stopped breathing beneath Sebastian's gloved palms.

Ciel looked up from his newspaper when he heard something being set down on the dining room table. He set down the papers to see a red heart-shaped box with a ribbon tied around it, left by none other than Sebastian.

"Why have you given me this?" Ciel asked slowly.

"It's Valentine's Day. I know how much the young master loves sweets."

Ciel opened the box and found multiple truffles, each of a different flavor. "You bastard, I'm not falling for this. What did you put in them? Saliva? Dish soap? Sleeping pills?"

"None of the above. It is a Valentine's Day treat, so please enjoy it."

"Oh, _come on,_" Ciel yelled after Sebastian as he made for the door. "Don't be that way. Just tell me already! Sebastian!"

"I've already told you they're fine. Please excuse me."

Ciel raised a brow expectantly. _Bard probably had something to do with this. My stomach's going to be brunt to a crisp._

Ciel lifted a truffle, eyed it for a minute for anything unusual, and let it pass his lips. It was dark chocolate with a strawberry filling... except not with a hint of explosives of any kind. Ciel swallowed and nothing strange happened to his body. _Another one. Then I'll know for sure..._

He plopped a vanilla truffle into his mouth. This one was delicious also, but not dangerous. _He wanted me to be antsy with fear, but he didn't even poison them. That jerk. _Ciel marched out of his office to find Sebastian. _I'll show him not to play my games!_

He found the disappointing butler in the kitchen as he changed into his cooking outfit. "Why isn't my skin melting, why aren't my ears bleeding? Why am I not suffering from your cold act of revenge, Sebastian?!"

Sebastian glanced at the child. "Revenge? I never said I wanted revenge on you, or did I?"

"You didn't have to say it. I can _read_ you. Aren't you upset that I made you kill your cats?"

"Of course I am. However, I would never wish to harm my young master, even if he is a cold and heartless human being."

Ciel walked straight up to Sebastian and pulled his face down to meet his. "Where's your demonic rage? WHY AREN'T YOU STRANGLING ME?"

Sebastian sighed. "Do you _want_ me to strangle you?"

"Well... no..."

"Then I see no problem." Sebastian went to gather the materials to cook that evening's dinner. "Do you?"

_Yes, _Ciel pouted to himself.

"What is it, then?"

Ciel nearly jumped when he realized he said "yes" aloud. Sebastian always knew when something was troubling Ciel, so the teen might as well spit it out. "The attention that you give your cats," he said slowly. "It irritates me."

Sebastian smirked and looked behind his shoulder at Ciel. "Could it be that you're jealous?"

"NO! What nonsense prattle are you speaking? How dare you even suggest that."

Sebastian shrugged. "All right. You're obviously very sensitive about it, so I'll leave the subject at rest."

Ciel was nearly at the door when he stopped. He spent a full two minutes standing there thinking about his childish issues. Sebastian was always monotonous around Ciel and always looked as if he were only tolerating him. However, when the demon was around cats, a new light came to his eyes that can be sparked by nothing else. Perhaps 'jealous' was the correct word to use, but not the word Ciel had in mind.

"Are you waiting for something?" Sebastian asked the frozen earl.

Ciel let his shoulders relax. "You're right," was all he said before leaving the room, not waiting for Sebastian's response. Ciel refused to become embarrassed by Sebastian's words of how he was right and that Ciel was unbelievable and childish. Ciel gasped when a hand took his arm tightly. He looked up and Sebastian's serious face was looking down at him.

"You're jealous, young master? I can't see why."

"I can't tell if you're lying or joking, but you should know by now." Ciel wrenched his arm from Sebastian's strong hand. "You give them your attention constantly... all day long. It's enough to drive one mad."

Ciel blushed when Sebastian chuckled softly at him. The soft chuckles turned to blunt laughter just moments later. "How dare you..." Ciel murmured. Sebastian was literally _laughing_ at what hurt Ciel.

"It would seem that you don't want me to visit them at all just so that you can have me to yourself. Is that it?"

"Forget I said anything! What an utter waste of my valuable time to try and explain something to you that you clearly won't get!"

Sebastian took Ciel's arm again, tighter this time. "I believe that you're the one who's not 'getting' something, if I may be so bold."

"You'll never understand how I feel. Human emotions aren't your specialty, after all."

"Young master, you have to understand sooner or later." Sebastian roughly took a chunk of Ciel's hair and forced him to look up. "My feelings toward my cats are not romantic. I enjoy their company, and I adore everything about them. But I would never go as far with them as I would with you, the human soul that I'm so madly in love with. They're my beloved cats, but you're my beloved soul that I am contracted to. We have a special connection that can't be broken. While cats come and go as they please, we will always be linked."

Ciel groaned from the pain of Sebastian's hold on his blue-gray hair. "Do you truly mean that?"

"Every last word." Sebastian slowly released Ciel. "I cherish you above all else."

"I feel... a bit better from hearing you say that," Ciel murmured, rubbing his aching head. "I shouldn't have made such a fuss over it. You do _belong_ to me, no matter what."

With a wink, Sebastian added, "If you permit me to sleep with you again tonight, I promise to make it worth your while."

"You'd better," Ciel whispered, hugging Sebastian as tightly as possible. "I want you close to me. Only you."

A sigh of relief escaped Sebastian when Ciel left the room.

_That could have gone a whole other way; he obviously hasn't eaten the truffle with my blood filling. __Happy Valentine's Day, young master._


End file.
